8

For his intensely emotional play, screenwriter Dustin Lance Black (J. EDGAR) draws on actual transcripts of the 2010 trial that examined the unconstitutionality of California’s notorious Proposition 8, which eliminated the rights of same-sex couples to marry. At turns comical and deeply upsetting, the play is beautifully cast—from Brad Pitt’s subtle Chief Judge Walker to George Clooney’s gentlemanly attorney, Boies. Jane Lynch’s expert portrayal of Maggie Gallagher (National Organization for Marriage) is downright maddening, and Chris Colfer’s reading of Ryan Kendall will make you desperate to go home and hug your kids. But the trial isn’t the crux of this story. Instead, it is the portrayals of the Perry family (Jamie Lee Curtis, Christine Lahti, Jansen Panettiere, and Bridger Zadina) that are the most authentic, the most tender, the most crucial to understanding why everyone, regardless of political leaning, should hear this stunning production. A.H.A. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2012, Portland, Maine [Published: MAY 2012]